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What is fibre reinforced concrete?Steel f ibres have been used to reinforce concrete for over 100 years s ince the f i rst patent was appl ied for in 1874.

Introducing f ibres into the concrete provides new and improved mechanical propert ies; the f ibres are distr ibuted in three-dimensions throughout the concrete providing performance precisely where i t is needed.

In some appl icat ions, such as f loor s labs, traditional steel reinforcement can be replaced entirely by steel fibres .

Synthet ic f ibres are now being used within concrete, in order to offer other non-structural performance benef i ts.

With over 30 years experience in the design and supply of fibre reinforcement, Maccaferri offers a wide range of Wirand fibres, both steel and polymer, designed to “Make your Concrete Unique!”

Maccaferri fibres:Make your Concrete Unique!

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Effect on Concrete / BenefitsFibres within the concrete act once cracks init iate, br idging the cracks and control l ing their width.The stiffness and resistance to creep of the f ibre, as wel l as the shear and flexural toughness performance provided by the f ibre, are cr i t ical within reinforcement appl icat ions. As the f ibres are evenly distr ibuted throughout the matr ix, the result ing concrete possesses homogeneous 3-dimensional mechanical behaviour, r ight up to the edges of the s lab and joints.

Greater Ductility

Flexural Toughness

Post-crack residual strength

Crack width control

Fatigue improvement

Impact resistance

Permeability

Abrasion resistance

Long term shrinkage

Fire resistance

Freeze-Thaw resistance

Corrosion Resistance

Reduced Early Plastic shrinkage cracking

Reduced Early Plastic settlement cracking

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Wirand f ibre reinforcement enhances the performance of concrete;• Frombritt letoduct i lebehaviour• Fromcompressivestrengthtof lexural structural performance• Enhancedstructural andconstruct ionalbenef i ts The improvement in performance of the concrete is dependent upon the physical character ist ics and geometry of the steel f ibre:• HighYoung’sModulusofsteel f ibres(200,000MPa)• Hightensi lestrengthofsteel f ibres(1100-1500MPa)• Highstrengthatvery lowstrain• Negl igiblecreepunder load• Anchoragemechanism(endhookshape)• Dosagerate(kg/m 3) andf ibresperunit weight• Fibre lengthanddiameter (AspectRat io)

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Effect of fibres on hardening concrete0 - 48 hours: Young concrete80% of the concrete sett ing occurs over this t ime. Fine-cracks due to shr inkage maystart tooccurastheconcretedr ies.Micro-synthet ic f ibresretainwaterontheir vast specif ic surface. This s lows down the rate of dry ing, maintaining the hydrat ion of the matr ix which reduces the r isk of shr inkage cracking as the concrete sets. The smooth body of the steel Wirand f ibres does not inhibit this necessary movement, reducing locked-in stresses within the concrete.

2 - 28 days: Maturing concreteThe concrete has experienced the major i ty of movement and is now stabi l is ing. The special ly developed anchorage hooks on the Wirand f ibres now engage with the hardening concrete. Cracks may develop from appl ied loads, or f rom the micro-cracks formed previously. Wirand steel f ibres br idge the cracks and inhibit the crack opening.

• Steel fibres are used for structural reinforcement and crack width control• Micro-synthetic f ibres are used for control l ing plast ic shr inkage during sett ing and improved resistance to temperature.

The select ion of an appropriate f ibre and i ts dosage is dependent upon the concrete c lass and the appl icat ion. Combinations of di f ferent f ibre types can be used within the concrete mix, each offer ing specif ic improvements.

Types of Fibres

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Wirand Steel F ibres Fibromac Synthet ic F ibres

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Design parameters for each industr ial f loor ing, pavement orprecast appl icat ion are unique.

Maccaferr i ’s design software PAVE , is used to design f loor s labs and incorporates standard and latest methodologies includingnon-l inearfracturemechanics,y ie ldl inetheory(TR-34/3, ACI 360 R-10) and elast ic theory (Westergaard). Thisenables the optimizat ion of designs with regard to concrete c lass and thickness, f ibre dosages and on major projects, even f ibrecharacter ist icstosaveourc l ients’ t imeandmoney.

Mostnat ionalandinternat ional(e.g.FIBModelCode)designstandards and guidel ines do not allow synthetic fibres to be used as structural reinforcement for concrete, because their Young’sModulus is s ignif icant lyaffectedbyt imeand/orthermo-hygrometr ic phenomena.

Micro-synthet ic f ibresenhancethef i reresistanceofconcreteand are used in pre-cast elements potential ly exposed to these condit ions; e.g. tunnel segments.

Design

Successful construction... 1. Plastic membrane •Maintainshydrationofconcrete/ vapourbarr ier •Allowsslabtosl ipoverground

2. Fibrereinforcedconcreteplacement •Thickness&dosagedefinedindesign

Testing + design = solution optimisation

Potential reduct ionin s lab thickness

Design noteDesign values, such as the Re,3 toughness factor and fR,3 residual flexural strengths, are used for the design of SFRC slabs.They characterise the flexuralpost-crack performance of the matrix and are determined through beam testing in accordance with international standards and guidelines. The obtained residual strength or the equivalent tensile strength are basic design values from where the direct tensile and shear characteristics for design are derived.

Maccaferri’s technical teams workin partnership with clients, selecting fibres, optimising designs and advising on dosing equipment.

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Jointless floors Maccaferr i ’s Lodimac (LOng DIstance MACcaferr i )system enables f loor panels of up to 2,500m2 tobe cast without saw-cut joints, great ly increasing design possibi l i t ies and f lexibi l i ty of construct ion.

Superflat floorsWirandSFRCslabsful ly complywiththedemandsofhigh racking, narrow ais le loads and cr i t ical surface level tolerances as required by the manufacturers of racking systems and load-haul equipment manufacturers.

Compared to tradit ional reinforcement, Wirand steel f ibrereinforcedconcrete(SFRC)can;• Reduceweakpoints inthes lab• Increasepanels izesbyel iminatingsaw-cuts• Reduces labthickness• Bequicker,saferandcheaperto instal l• Replacetradit ionalreinforcement• Increasethedai lyconstruct ionoutput

The cycl ic loading of f loor ing s labs, part icular ly in heavy industr ial appl icat ions, is demanding. The response of the concrete s lab is dependent on the ‘duct i l i ty ’ or‘ toughness’ oftheconcrete;assteel f ibreshaveahighmodulus of elast ic i ty and do not creep over t ime, they substantial ly improve the ‘elasto-plastic ’ responseof the s lab.

Flooring slabs

• Floorswithhighthermalrange• Concreterepairs• Tankfarmslabs• Foundations(str ips/s labs)• Commercial f loor ing• Whitetopping• Parkingareas&garages

KEY APPLICATIONS

• Logist icsCentres/ Warehouses• Ti l t-upconstruct ion• Container&harbourterminals• Residential s labs• Airports labsandrunways• Compositemetal decks• Concreteroads• Slabonpi les

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Installation & Dosage Placement & Compaction

Successful construction...

3. Flooring hardeners • Afterpower-f loat ing,sprayhardeners

4. Curing compounds added

5. Screeds/ non-sl ipcoatingsplaced i f required

Fibres are one component of the concrete mix, and control of al l the const i tuents and processes is important to obtain a perfectresult .UsingMaccaferr i Wirandf ibres is s imple;• Introducef ibres intotheconcretemix•Letthef ibresdistr ibutehomogenously•Mixingt imetypical ly 1minutepercubicmetreofconcrete•Includeadmixturestooptimiseworkabi l i ty.

For smal ler and one-off projects, the f ibres are convenient ly del ivered in pre-weighed packs for deployment direct ly into the concrete mixing truck at the project s i te.

For larger projects, the rate of del ivery and dispersal of f ibres within the concrete matr ix is important, because the cycles are short.Maccaferr i ’s ful l rangeofDOSOf ibredosingsystemshasbeen developed to solve the specif ic problems of large s lab f loor ing contractors and precast plants. These can be stand-alone, or ful ly integrated into the concrete batching plant with the support of our product ion special ists.

Oncetheappropriatef ibrehasbeenselected,tradit ionaltechniques and equipment are used for placing f ibre reinforced concrete.Wirand SFRC canbe poureddirect lyf rom the truck mixer or can be pumped without problems.

Compared to normal reinforced concrete, SFRC showsminimal di f ference in placement, workabi l i ty or the compaction effort required. Conventional f loor f inishing techniques can then be used; hardeners, screeds or coat ings.

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Precast products

KEY APPLICATIONS

•Precasttunnelsegments•Pipesandwatertanks•Manholecomponents•Jerseybarr iers•BasementWal ls•Rai lways leepers•Complexshapedproducts•Modularconcreteelements•Draincomponents•Slenderconcreteproducts•Prestressed/posttensionedbeams

Maccaferr i Wirandand Fibromac f ibresoffer s ignif icantadvantages when used in precast concrete.Customising the f ibre types and blend within the concrete mix to suit the concrete end-product, br ings many benef i ts. I t increases the durabi l i ty, duct i l i ty, shear, impact resistance and f i re resistance of the pre-castproduct.Otherbenef i tsare:

•Reducedcomplexreinforcementdetai l ing•Reduceddamageduringdemoulding•Reduceddamageduringhandl ingandtransportat ion•Improvedfreeze-thaw/thermalresistance•Reducedear ly-agecracking•Earl ier demoulding/ shortermouldt imes•Mores lenderproductsusing lessconcrete•Widerrangeofusesof f inal product.

Theuseoff ibresintunnel l ingis presentedinMaccaferr i ’sTunnel l ing Works brochure. Downloadablefromyour local

www.maccaferri.com

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CE Marking and Product QualityMaccaferr i ’s Wirandsteel f ibresaremanufacturedinISO9001cert i f iedfaci l i t iesandalsohaveECCert i f icateofConformity,meetingtherequirementsofEN14889-1:2006for“structural use in concrete mortar or grout”.

This is an important and independent cert i f icat ion of the qual i ty and performance of f ibres. The conformance test regime includes beam tests to determine the appropriate use of the f ibres. I t cert i f ies that steel f ibres provide the specif ied toughness performance to permit their use within structural appl icat ions.

Reassur ingly for c l ients, CE Marking requires f ibremanufacturers to declare the appropriate use for their f ibres on their product packaging. Accordingly, Wirand packaging states‘ForStructural Use’.

Synthet ic f ibresarenotCEMarked“Forstructural use”.

Maccaferr i carr iesoutaddit ionaltestsatrenownedinst i tut ionsto ref ine our products and knowledge. This capabi l i ty is passed onto our c l ients through optimised and eff ic ient solut ions. Wirand FibreSteel f ibres for structural use in concrete, mortar and grout

Wirand FF3 - C30/37 - 30 kg/m3

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Project examples

Container terminalContainer port

Underf loor heating instal lat ion Laser level l ing

Housingdevelopmentfoundations labs

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Fuel stat ion forecourtSuperf lat f loor for high-racking Arena f loor

Airport taxiway Superf lat f loor for high-racking Technical Data, Case Histories and Contact Details can be found at your local www.maccaferri.com

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Bureau Veritas Certified Quality System Company with SINCERT’s and UKAS’s accreditation

Officine Maccaferri S.p.A.Via J. F. Kennedy, 1040069 Zola Predosa (Bologna) - ItalyPhone ++39 051 6436000 Fax ++39 051 6436201comes@maccaferri.com

www.maccaferri.com

© 2011 Officine Maccaferri S.p.A. - Bologna - Italy - Print: Litografia Zucchini - Project: graficamonti.com - Photo: Officine Maccaferri Archive

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E.Officine Maccaferri Group Profi le

Consultancy and PartnershipMaccaferri’s motto is ‘Engineering a Better Solution’; We do not merely supply products, but work inpartnership with our clients, offering technical expertise to deliver versatile, cost effective and environmentally sound solutions. We aim to build mutually beneficial relationships with clients through the quality of our service and solutions.

Organisational StructureOff ic ine Maccaferr i is at the heart of the Maccaferr i Industr ial Group. I ts continued growth is basedupon long-held values of innovation, integr ity, excel lent service and respect for the environment.Maccaferr i ’s v is ion is to become a leading internat ional provider of advanced solut ions to the c iv i lengineer ing and construct ion market. Implementing a strategy of vert ical integrat ion, Maccaferr iresearches, manufactures, designs, suppl ies and constructs solut ions within i ts target markets.The capabi l i ty of the business continues to expand due to a strategic plan to open new markets and growexist ingones;Maccaferr i nowoffersadvancedengineered solut ions frombeach nourishment to reinforced soil structures and from rockfall mitigation to tunnelling systems .Withover2000employees,26manufactur ing faci l i t ies and local operat ions in100 countr ies aroundtheworld,Maccaferr i cantrulyc laimtohaveaglobalpresencewith local focus.

Founded in 1879, Officine Maccaferri soon became a technical reference in the design and development of solut ions for erosion control and retaining structures. S ince then, through technological innovation,geographical expansionandfocusseddivers i f icat ion,Maccaferr i nowofferssolut ionsataglobal level for a wide range of civil and environmental engineering appl icat ions.